When People Revolt | Class 8 Social Science Notes
By ConceptScroll Team · Published on 17 July 2026 · 2 min read
When People Revolt – this guide gives you a concise, exam-ready overview of When People Revolt from Class 8 Social Science, written by ConceptScroll editors and reviewed against the latest NCERT textbook.
Nawabs lose their power
This section details how the traditional rulers, especially nawabs and rajas, saw a steady erosion of their power from the mid-eighteenth century onward. The British imposed Residents in many courts, reducing rulers' freedom and disbanding their armed forces. Their revenues and territories were taken away in stages. Attempts by rulers like Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi and Nana Saheb to protect their rights, such as recognition of heirs or pensions, were rejected by the Company, which was confident in its military superiority. The annexation of Awadh in 1856 was justified by the British on grounds of misgovernance, reflecting the policy of direct control. The Company also planned to end the Mughal dynasty’s symbolic authority by removing the emperor’s name from coins and declaring Bahadur Shah Zafar the last emperor, with no recognition for his descendants. These actions deeply humiliated the traditional rulers and alienated many loyalists.
📊 Diagram: No specific diagram in this section, but Figure 1 (sepoys and peasants gathering) relates to the broader context of resistance.
🔗 Connection: Prepares for understanding the grievances of peasants and sepoys, who were also affected by British policies.
Frequently asked questions
1. What was the demand of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi that was refused by the British?
Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi demanded that her adopted son be recognized as the heir to the throne of Jhansi. The British refused to accept this demand and applied the Doctrine of Lapse, annexing Jhansi on the grounds that she had no natural heir.
2. What did the British do to protect the interests of those who converted to Christianity?
The British government passed laws and policies to protect the interests of converts to Christianity. They often supported missionaries and ensured that converts were exempted from certain traditional customs and taxes. This was seen as an attempt to encourage conversion and protect converts from social and legal discrimination.
3. What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were asked to use?
The sepoys objected to the new cartridges because they believed the cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat. Since cows are sacred to Hindus and pigs are considered unclean by Muslims, biting the cartridges to open them was offensive to their religious beliefs. This caused widespread anger and was one of the immediate causes of the 1857 rebellion.
4. How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life?
The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, lived the last years of his life in exile after the failure of the 1857 rebellion. He was captured by the British, tried, and sentenced to imprisonment in Rangoon (now Yangon, Myanmar), where he died in obscurity and poverty.
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Clear NCERT-aligned notes on Law and Social for Class 8 Social Science.